Collapsible container



E. ZELLWEGER COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER FiledNov. 15, 1950 March 3, 1953 ERW/N ZELLWEG-E'R Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Erwin Zellweger, Zurich, Switzerland Application November 15, 1950, Serial No. 195,721

1 Claim. (01. 217 4s) 1 2 The present invention relates to a collapsible lowermost boards of the front and rear walls and container, for example a packing case, the four the slats l and II respectively. The illustrated walls of the container being hinged together at bottom consists of separate boards running lontheir adjoining edges. gitudinally, which are connected to each other The container according to the present invenby transverse battens, namely a front batten 5, tion difiers from known types of such collapsible a median batten 6 and a rear batten The containers in that a removable bottom is prowidth of the bottom is such that it fits between vided, which can be pushed along in guides the side walls of the container, and the thickness formed on sides of the container lying opposite of the bottom and that of one of the battens 5 each other, these guides having at one place a m and 5' together is such that the bottom ends with cavity and the bottom at the corresponding place the battens fit into the slots [2 and I3, respeca projection, the whole in such a way that the tively. The batten 6 functions as securing batbottom with the projection, when the bottom is ten, to secure the bottom in the position of use. pushed in, enters into the cavity under the in- Whereas the length of the battens 5 and 5' is fluence of its inherent elasticity, the bottom and shorter than the width of the bottom 3 so as to the container being thus secured in the position fit between the legs 9 of the battens 8, the length of use. of the batten 6 is approximately equal to that One example of execution of the subject of the width, and the width of that batten is approxiinvention is illustrated by way of example in the mately like that of the recess 1. However, as it accompanying drawing, where: can be seen from Fig. 5, the ends M of the se- Fig.1 showsaperspective view, curing batten 6 are kept thinner in the neigh- Fig. 2 a partial longitudinal section along line bourhood of the guide Ways [8 than between the 2-2 of Fig. 1, two battens 8. The bottom 3 may be inserted by Fig. 3 a view looking down on the collapsed passing its rear end through the front slot Ill and container, and pushing it to the rear wall. When batten 6 has Figs. 4 and 5 are sections on the lines 4-4 passed this slot, the thinned ends I 4 will slide and 55 respectively of Fig.2. on the guide Ways l8, the bottom 3 being then The side walls of the illustrated container are somewhat inclined down. As soon as the thinned formed of boards I and the front and rear walls ends of the batten 6 arrive in the e urof boards I. The adjoining edges of the boards hood of the recesses y l Spring i t he l and I are provided with projections 4 enga ing latter. Simultaneously the battens 5 and 5' will with each other. These projections are bored engage in he slo s l2 and I3, respe tiv yn through vertically and this bore takes a metal this W y e bottom is Secured in e P On o rod or wire 2. The ends of this rod are widened 1156- In O er o OVe e bottom from this out to form a head, thus preventing the rod from position, t s Sufficient to press it p a little falling ut. In thi manner t walls of t and to raise the thinned ends of the batten 6 out illustrated packing case are hinged together, so of the cavities When e described Packing that the walls of the container can be laid tocase is in the bottom is secured in the p gether into the position shown in Fig. For tiOn of se by the goods within the case, since closing the container below and for securing it the latter tend to p s the t d ds of the in the position of use as shown in Fig, 1, a, botbatten 5 H1130 the cavities. In the described tom 3 is provided, which can be secured in its mann r, securing of the collapsible container in position of use by special means, still to be dethe position of use is ensured with simple means scribed. For this purpose a bottom batten 8 is and consequently in an inexpensive way.

secured to and along the lowermost board I of What I claim is:

each side. Ba ns 8 pr j dly with their A collapsible container comprising two side portions 9 to form guide ways for the bottom 3. walls, a front wall and a rear wall, each side wall In the middle of each of the battens B, a short being hinged to said front and rear walls, said piece of the portion 9 is cut away so as to form front and rear walls being provided with transa recess 1 and the portion 9 between the recess verse slots near the lower edges of said walls, a l and the front wall is forwardly inclined as removable bottom fitting between said side walls clearly shown at It; in Fig. 2. In the planes of and with its front and rear ends into said slots the front and rear walls, transverse slats l0 and respectively, guide rails for said bottom along H are secured to the ends of the battens 8 so said side walls between said slots, said rails being that slots 12 and I3 are formed between the provided each with a recess substantially in the middle of their length and being downwardly inclined from said recesses to said front wall and said bottom including on its lower surface three transverse battens, one of said battens substantially in the middle of said bottom and the other ones at the ends of the bottom respectively, the ends of the first one of said battens being of a smaller thickness than said other battens and engaging said recesses when said ends of said bottom with said other battens are in engagement with said slots, respectively, and said other battens complementing the thickness of said bottom substantially to the width of said slots.

ERWIN ZELLWEGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,003,686 Anderson Sept. 19, 1911 2,223,023 Weilemann Nov. 26, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 80,498 Australia Apr. 10, 1920 

